Believe
by Cathook
Summary: On an ocean planet SG-1 are looking for anything that might help them in the fight against the goa'uld, when they suddenly find themselves separated – and facing things they've only ever dreamed of.
1. Believe - The Beginning

**Believe**

* * *

 **Summary:** On an ocean planet SG-1 are looking for anything that might help them in the fight against the goa'uld, when they suddenly find themselves separated – and facing things they've only ever dreamed of.

 **Timeline & spoilers :** Season 2, somewhere between episode 15 and 18.

Thank you for reading. Please leave a **review**.

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The blue sky rose in a cloudless arch over the equally blue sea. A mild wind ruffled the water and sent bright reflections of the sun dancing across a single spot of land rising from the wide expanse. Standing beside the Stargate on the little island, Sam found it easy to see how early man could have thought they were at the centre of the universe, placed on a flat Earth underneath a bowl of sky. Of course, this wasn't the Earth, flat or round. It was just another of thousands, maybe millions, of planets across the Milky Way connected by the Stargate network and on the SGC list of places to go.

They'd had high hopes for this world. Hope that there might be something here to use in the battle against the goa'uld. The address had been among those entered by Jack under the influence of the Ancient repository of knowledge, but it was not part of the Abydos cartouche. The discrepancy had to mean one of two things; that the goa'uld had deemed the planet useless, or that there was something here that they wanted to avoid. The SGC had put their hope – and in some cases their money – on the latter.

However, now that they were here things didn't look so promising. The MALP had shown nothing but thick fog all around the Stargate and SG-1 had been sent to see what they could turn up. What in fact had turned up was that the Stargate sat on a lone island barely thirty paces across. The search had been quick and initially disappointing, as they had found nothing but a few clumps of brush growing in the cracks of the bedrock. There were no signs of people, no writings or indications that the 'gate had been used recently. That is until Daniel found a faint carven design underneath a patch of moss. Armed with his trusted trowel he followed the barely visible lines, uncovering it as he went, while the others mostly tried to stay out of his way. None of them really thought the lines would pan out to anything useful, but the sun was warm and the sea air nice enough to humor him. As Jack had put it – they could hang out a while if Daniel wanted to have a poke-around.

"I found something!"

Daniel's shout ripped Sam from her contemplation and in a short sprint she headed over to where he was crouched down on the ground. In front of him several of the carved lines converged around a small indentation in the rock. He scraped away a clump of moss and swept away the remaining dust with his fingers. When his skin connected with the stone the nearest lines flared with a turquoise light. He quickly drew his hand back and looked up at the rest of them, his eyes connecting with Sam's. She nodded a silent assurance that she had seen it too. Beside her she could feel Jack tense. No doubt he anticipated Daniel's next move, but he said nothing as Daniel placed the palm of his hand in the indentation.

The light flared again, growing steady when he didn't draw his hand back, and then it began to spread. It ran quick like water along the lines until the entire island shone with a complex design of turquoise light. Then, as sudden as the first flash, the light winked out and disappeared. A heartbeat later the island shook with a low rumble, and to the grinding sound of stone against stone a section of the rock split open and began to sink into the sea. In the opening sat a small wooden sail boat.

Jack was first to find himself and approach the vessel. He slid his hand along the delicately carved hull and then heaved himself over the railing to inspect the rigging. Meanwhile Daniel headed for the newly uncovered cliff walls. It didn't take long before he paused and a wide grin spread across his face. Sam hurried to his side and couldn't help smiling too when she saw what he had found.

"Colonel!" she called and Jack looked up, his brow wrinkling with confusion as he took in their matching grins.

"Yeah? You find something else?"

"Kinda…" Daniel replied, stifling a giggle. He pointed his chin at the boat. "Is that thing safe?"

"Looks sturdy enough to me, and plenty of room for the four of us. Why?"

Daniel ignored the question. "And you know how to sail it?"

"My grandpa taught me when I was a kid. Like riding a bike I reckon. Why?" Jack put some more emphasis on the question this time.

"Because I think we're need to go that way." Daniel stepped aside to reveal the big arrow carved into the cliff, stifling another giggle.

Jack nodded. "Right. Dial up the 'gate. We have to let Hammond know what we're up to."

* * *

The water was still and crystal clear, and at first the soft wind blew them slowly but steadily in the appointed direction. Soon the Stargate-island faded into the haze but that was no problem. According to the compass their direction was northeast and according to Jack they would have no problem keeping their heading. Besides, it seemed unlikely that their destination was too far away. At least that was what they thought.

Around noon the wind died. Jack fiddled with the sails for a while, but in the end he had to concede that they were adrift. Sam checked the compass.

"The current is still taking us northeast. Maybe the wind will pick up again."

Jack nodded and pulled out his binoculars. After pointing them at the horizon for a while he waved Sam over.

"Here. What do you see?"

He thrummed his fingers on the railing of the boat while she scanned the horizon. At first she saw nothing, but then…

"What is that?"

"I dunno, but it's getting closer I think."

She took another look, and nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I think you might be right."

"Are you guys talking about the fog?" Daniel called from the aft.

Sam turned and looked at him. "The fog?"

"Yeah, it's all around us, and it _is_ getting closer."

She glanced around, and sure enough there was a stroke of white along the horizon in every direction, already visible to the naked eye.

"But it's just fog," Jack interjected, looking a little worried that one of them might say it wasn't. "It _is_ just fog, right?"

Sam bit her lip, and replied, "No, sir, I don't think it's entirely…"

"Natural? I figured. So, options?"

Sam didn't reply, and neither did Daniel or Teal'c. What reply was there to give but a resounding silence? The fog might not be natural, but it didn't seem very threatening. And besides, in the lull there wasn't anything they could do to escape whatever it might hold. Jack didn't seem to have any ideas either, so they all sat down and watched the fog creep towards them. It sped up as it drew nearer, shrinking the world inside its white walls quicker and quicker. Then, just a few yards away, it stopped. It felt like being stuck in a jar; a white jar with a blue lid far above and phantoms of clear water below. No one spoke as they waited for something to happen. The only sound was the lapping of water against the hull of the boat.

Gradually Sam became aware of another sound. It was barely audible and faded in and out to the point where she thought it might just be a hallucination brought on by the tension. Just as she was about to write it off as a figment of her imagination it came back, no stronger but definitely there. She strained her ears to hear. Yes, there it was again, and against all laws of physics it seemed to literally come from beneath the water. She leaned over the railing and listened harder. The water was deep here, the bottom barely visible despite the clarity. The sound was louder closer to the surface. She leaned further out and peered into the deep. There was a structure to the sound, she was sure of it. A melody, like music – or singing. Eerie voices beckoning, calling her closer, closer. She leaned further out, her nose almost touching the surface of the water.

Far below she could just about make out the shadow of the boat slipping along the seabed, rising and falling with the hills and valleys. And there was her own shadow sticking out from its side. As she watched three more shadows appeared until the boat looked like it had somehow sprouted legs. She was about to share the humorous observation with the others when she spotted another shadow. It was fast, not at all like the slow drift of the boat, and like the singing it was there and gone again so quickly that she doubted it had ever been there at all. While she stared at the spot where the shadow had disappeared the singing grew louder, as if called by her attention. She could make out words now, or at least she thought she could though she had no idea what any of them meant. They weren't words in any language she knew. She considered asking Daniel if he understood, but at that very moment the shadow appeared again. It dashed out from a pile of rocks and circled the shadow of the boat. Another followed it, and then another, and another. The four creatures weaved around each other in a mesmerizing dance, in perfect rhythm to the singing.

The song grew to an impossible crescendo, so loud, so high and so beautiful that the feelings swelling in her chest were almost physically painful. Just as she thought she could take no more the song ended in a long shrilling note. The creatures in the water froze and for a breathless moment everything was still and quiet. Then they turned their faces up and shot towards the surface.


	2. Believe - Jack

There was sand under his cheek. Sand in his half-closed fists. Sand in his ears, in his eyes, in his mouth. He spat and coughed, pushed himself up to his knees. There was sand down the front of his shirt. Sand in his pants! With a sigh he resigned to the fact; there was sand everywhere. Except in his shoes, though that was only due to the fact that they were not on his feet. So wherever they were, there could be sand in his shoes – but it really didn't matter.

Jack clambered to his feet and brushed off the worst of the sand. Then he took a good look at his surroundings. The sand belonged to a beach which stretched out to each side of him in a strip of beigy white that marked the border between the glistening blue of the sea and a lushly green tropical forest.

He tried to remember what had happened. They'd all been watching the water creatures swimming under the boat. It had been… hypnotizing. His brow furrowed as he tried to recall what had happened next. The creatures had swum up and he had caught a glimpse of a face. It had been the face of a beautiful woman but contorted with malice and bearing a mouthful of sharp teeth. _They must have tipped the boat over and I managed to swim to shore._ The thought arrived in his mind fully formed, with a slightly uncomfortable sense of not being his own. He shook the feeling off. _Your thoughts can't be anything but your own._

He looked around again, this time scanning the sand for the shapes of his teammates, but the beach was empty. However, there was an area where the sand had been disturbed. He ran to the spot and knelt down to investigate. _Just as I thought – footprints._ There were four sets of them running in parallel lines between the tree line and a vaguely body-shaped indent just by the water's edge. An icy chill rose in his gut when he drew the only conclusion that came to mind. One of his teammates had washed up right next to him and someone had taken them away. Cold anxiety twisted in his gut and morphed into burning hot anger, propelling him from paralysis to action. He rose and ran into the trees.

The enemy track led straight inland and he followed it at a quick pace just short of a sprint. Anger burned like a furnace in his chest, drove him on like a steady pounding steam engine. He ignored his muscles as they began to scream for a rest and the increasing difficulty to breathe as he grew more winded. He had to find the one of his teammates who had been taken. No other thought found room in his mind. He had to find them.

The trees grew higher and sturdier; their thick canopies fading the bright sunlight to a gloomy green full of ominous shadows. The undergrowth thinned, starved of light by the mighty trees looming up above. Still the track he followed remained clear, so he pushed on ignoring his body begging for a break. Finally there was movement up ahead. He froze in his tracks. His heart pounded. His labored breaths caught in his throat. For a moment he stood still staring at the group of jaffa marching on the path ahead of him. Then he caught himself – _What am I doing standing around in plain sight?_ – and he threw himself behind the closest tree, scraping his knee as he scrambled to hide. He pressed his back against the strong trunk and listened for the signs that someone had seen him. Each heartbeat seemed to echo in his ears, loud enough to be heard throughout the forest. _Too loud, too loud. Any moment now._ Seconds dragged into minutes and still he waited for the shout, the sign that he was discovered, but the forest stayed silent.

He took a deep breath and tried to slow his racing heart, but the focused calm he had learned to employ in these situations wouldn't come. Anxiety trickled through his veins and he was uncharacteristically unsure of how to proceed. Frustrated he physically shook himself. _Don't be silly! I've been doing this shit most of my life. This is what I do!_ Still hidden by the trunk of the tree, he got to his feet and then he peeked around it. The forest path was empty as far as he could see, so he decided it was safe to pick up the pursuit again. This time he took it slower, keeping a watchful eye up ahead. Soon he reached a bend in the road and beyond the trees opened up into a small clearing with a jaffa encampment.

Hidden behind a tree Jack took in the scene. A couple of small tents sat scattered around a center semi-building. Three of its walls were made of wood, rough planks cut from the trees felled to make the clearing, and the fourth looked like it could once have been another small tent. A scream broke his attention; sounded by a voice he'd know anywhere. _Sam!_ His heart answered without consulting the brain and launched itself into another hammering frenzy. Each beat was like the claws of a beast against the cage of ribs holding it in. His ears thrummed with the rush of blood, making him dizzy. His limbs tingled with adrenaline that made him feel strong and weak all at the same time, as if his body couldn't decide on the course of fight or flight. Tension built in his chest, a taut wire perpetually on the verge of snapping. Energy throbbed in his crouched legs. They ached to move and release it but he couldn't. Not until he decided what to do. He'd only get one chance at the element of surprise.

Subconsciously his hands went to grab his gun and he realized it wasn't there. The shock took the edge off of what little focus he had. _Why didn't I notice that before?_ He felt for his handgun but the holster was empty too, as was the scabbard that should have held a sharp army knife. He was unarmed and up against… He counted the jaffa in the clearing – _five._

Another scream cut through the silent forest, and straight through his soul. He gritted his teeth and considered his hands. There was nothing for it; they were all he had but they would have to do. Walking away was not actually an option. Not when _she_ was on the line. If he turned away, even to arm himself and come back, he would be leaving Sam and there was no way he could do that. Not ever. He'd rather die trying to save her.

A part of his mind jerked at the thought. _That's stupid. I don't even have a plan. Dying is not_ _a plan!_ For a moment his mind was divided, struggled against the foreign thoughts sitting so firmly yet awkwardly inside, driving him to act without consideration. A third scream cut the struggle short. He couldn't fight the adrenaline, nor the need to act, to save Sam. He rose and rushed into the clearing, heading for the closest jaffa in a football tackle.

He heard the sound of the zat before he felt its effect; the electric sizzle that fitted its name so perfectly. The blue plasma beam connected with his lower back, splintering into a million agonizing threads that raced along every inch of his nervous system. His legs gave out immediately and he crashed face first into the ground. His mind lingered on the edge of consciousness, but the lightning shock had overloaded his nerves and he could do nothing but watch as one of the jaffa stomped over to him and pointed the zat at his face. The small wakeful part of his mind screamed as he saw the weapon charge up again. _I can't believe I got myself into this position!_ Then the darkness claimed him.


	3. Believe - Daniel

The sea creatures hit the boat with the force of a great white, lifting it up in the air as it tumbled over and dumped its passengers into the water. Daniel went under and swallowed a big mouthful of water. The salt burned his throat and his lungs screamed for air. He surfaced flailing wildly and sucked a quick breath before a wave crashed over his head. He kicked and managed to surface again, and this time he stayed up. A couple of feet away he spotted Jack treading water. Their eyes connected, asking and answering the same question: _You okay? – Yeah._

"Where's Sam and Teal'c?" Daniel shouted, barely escaping another gulp of water.

Jack pointed at the upended boat where Sam was hanging on with one hand. Wrapped in her other arm was Teal'c, unconscious and bleeding from a gash in his head. Daniel swam towards them.

 _What was that?_ _Did something just touch my leg?_ He stopped and tried to look down into the water, but though it was clear it was difficult to see anything without dunking his head again. The image of the sea creatures popped into his mind, their faces rushing up through the water. For a moment he had forgotten about them, but they must still be down there, _right?_ He'd only just thought the thought when something grabbed onto his ankles and yanked him under the surface.

Instinctively he drew a breath but air had already disappeared above his head and his lungs filled with water instead. He tried to kick out and managed to get one leg free, but strength was already waning. Pain bloomed in his chest as his lungs protested the lack of oxygen, and he struggled to resist the breathing reflex. He kicked again but the grip on his leg held fast, pulling him further down. Stars danced before his eyes. He could no longer stop his body from trying to breathe the water. He sucked in a deep breath, but instead of the dark of death he saw light. Blinding bright light that cut into the water around him. With the telltale buzz noise a ring transport descended and pulled him skywards.

* * *

Soft light sifted through silky drapes, painted sections of pastel colors on the wall above his head. Daniel blinked away the grogginess and tried moving. His limbs felt heavy, unwilling to move, but to his surprise they were unbound. His hands slid over satin sheets, the pillow beneath his head was just soft enough; someone had gone to quite some effort to make him comfortable.

The sound of hushed voices reached him. A man, speaking with the distinct cadence of a jaffa, and a woman. _Wait!_ The familiarity of the soft voice shot him upright in the bed, his heart beating so hard something in his chest felt bound to give. He barely dared to breathe as he crept out of the bed and to the doorway. Carefully he parted the drapes enough to see into the next room.

There was a seating area there with a couple of sofas and a low table and, lounging on the sofa – _Sha're._ His thoughts spelled her name in rosy hope, but as always they quickly turned a bitter red. _It's not her. It's Amaunet._ No matter how many times he told himself, the truth never got any easier to bear. By now he was sure his heart would never learn to accept that something else dwelled in that body. That his love had been corrupted and that most likely he would never have his wife retuned to him. _There's always hope_ , his unbendable spirit called as his eyes drank her in, tracing every beloved inch of skin visible through her gauzy dress.

She looked so much like Sha're, and not only in that Amaunet wore her body. She looked like _her_. There was a tension in her shoulders that he knew all too well. It was the way she had held herself when she had been worried about him. When he had insisted on digging out the ruins back on Abydos. When he had been sick from some illness his earth-born body had never encountered before. When he had opened the Stargate again. If only he had listened to the plea in her eyes. They'd been so full of longing to keep him safe but also of the knowledge that there was nothing she could do to make it so. He knew that look in her eyes, and that precise look was in her eyes now as she turned to gaze towards the drapes where he hid. _It is her._ His heart sounded its hope again, desperately unable to face reality. This time his mind hesitated as well. _Could it be?_

There was none of the goa'uld arrogance in the way she held herself, none of the cold cruelty in her eyes. Only worry; worry that he knew so well. That couldn't be Amaunet, could it? Not when she was so much like Sha're. He swallowed hard and forced himself to breathe. The tug-o-war of his hoping heart and his mind fearing disappointment wound his insides up like a string on the verge of snapping. If he didn't do something – anything – soon he would be torn apart. Besides, there was only one thing he could do. _All or nothing, no matter the consequences._ He pushed the drapes aside and stepped through the doorway.

Sha're – _or Amaunet?_ – bounced from her seat and before he had time to react her arms were around his neck and her lips pressed against his. He let it happen, savored the moment before he gently pushed her away at arm's length.

"Is it you?" His voice trembled with hope he could barely keep in check. "Is it you?"

Sha're smiled, and it was the smile he knew, brightening her face like a sunrise over the desert despite the tears in her eyes.

"It is me Danyel. The demon sleeps again. It is me."

"Sleeps again? How? Why?" Questions crowded in his mind, tumbling out one on top of the other. His eyes snapped to her belly, suspicious. Her smile grew wider and his heart ached when she looked at him like she had done so often, amused with his fumbling.

"I am not with child, my love. I forced the demon to sleep."

"How? Is that possible? I thought it only slept because of the child."

"After the birth it possessed me again, but its control was weak. I had tasted freedom and knowing it was possible I could fight the demon. Reclaim my mind and my body. And when I got the chance, I escaped."

He stared at her, speechless. Was any of this possible? He realized he didn't know enough about goa'uld possession to tell. It certainly seemed true. He could feel it. It was not a goa'uld standing in front of him. It was Sha're.

"But how are you here? How did you find me?"

"Luck. I have been on this planet no more than a few days, searching a way to contact you. The goa'uld fear this place. I think Apophis will not seek me here. Still, my jaffa has been watching the chappa'ai and he saw you come through."

" _Your_ jaffa?!"

The incredulous tone of his question made her blush, as if caught with an embarrassing mistake. With a guilty shrug she replied: "He was Amaunet's guard, but he is with the resistance now. He helped me escape and I could not deny his insistence to accompany me. He keeps me safe. I am grateful for his help"

"If he protects you, I am grateful too. This is just… a lot to take in."

"But you are happy?" Suddenly there was fear in her eyes and all at once he could sense the torture it must have been for her, not knowing if he would believe her. He grabbed her hands and pulled her close, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Happy?" He looked into her eyes, gladly drowning in their overwhelming emotion. "I am beyond happy, beyond bliss. I have dreamed of this every moment of every day since they took you from me. I have never wished for anything like I have wished to see you again."

His words washed the doubt out of her face and she smiled again, pulling him to sit beside her on the sofa. A quick gesture to the jaffa prompted him to bring a tray of fruit that she offered to Daniel.

"Eat," she said. "You must regain your strength."

He chose a pear and sank his teeth into the soft pulp, when a thought struck him.

"Where are the others?"

"Who?" She looked genuinely puzzled by his question, and he moved back out of shear surprise.

"Jack, Sam and Teal'c. Are they in another room? Are they alright?"

"Oh, them." Her voice turned oddly dismissive. "We had to leave them."

"Leave them?! You didn't pick up all of us?" He was on his feet now. Sha're reached for him, but he avoided the brush of her fingers and paced across the room.

"We could not," she said, pleading. "But you are here. _You_ are safe."

He shook his head vehemently, unable to keep the anger out of his movements or his voice. "We have to find them. I think Teal'c was hurt. They could need our help."

"They'll be fine. They can take care of themselves. We are together, is that not enough? Forget about them." She tilted her head and her eyes begged him to do as she said. He could not believe his ears.

"Forget…? Why would you say that? You know what they mean to me. I don't believe that you would say that!"

Sha're said nothing, only smiled as mist rolled into the room. White snaking tendrils that swallowed up the walls, the jaffa guard, and Sha're. Daniel gasped and the fog poured into his lungs. His vision blurred and faded white to gray to black. Just before he lost consciousness he thought he could hear singing.


	4. Believe - Teal'c

Teal'c blinked. _Have I been sleeping?_ The green canopy that filled his view was unfamiliar and disorienting, giving no clues to how he had ended up lying beneath it. Last thing he remembered he'd been leaning over the side of the boat to see the creatures swimming in the water and now he was – _where?_ He sat up and registered a number of chilling facts. Below the trees encircling him stood a group of tents. He recognized their design; he had slept in such tents many times on missions for Apophis. And there is was, right in front of him – the gilded tent. The cold hand of fear grabbed his heart. For an eternity of a moment he could not breathe. _Get it together, get it together, get it together…_ He forced his face to remain blank and calm, while his heart beat away like a furious war drum in his chest. He would not give the satisfaction of showing his fear, even though in the depths of his soul there was only one way he ever wanted to relate to what that tent inevitably held – and that way was of the running away variety. Only the discipline drilled into him throughout his life as a soldier made it possible to restrain his body from following the impulse. There were too many reasons an instant escape could be a bad idea. Most importantly he was undoubtedly being watched, though the lack of visible guards was a mite perplexing. Regardless, he could easily guess what orders the guards had in case he attempted to flee. As much as he did want to die free there was no need to rush into the dying part. Not if there was another option. A favorable moment for escape would present itself sooner or later – and if all else failed there was always his tauri teammates. They would come for him; they never left a man behind. And when they did his job was to be ready, not dead because of his own impatience.

Remaining still he studied the camp, noting every detail. The number of tents suggested a troupe of eight or ten jaffa. Apophis had to be with them; no one else would be allowed to live in the gilded tent. Seeing his former master's mark weaved into the fabric, Teal'c subconsciously lifted his hand to touch the golden emblem on his forehead. Maybe one day he would remove the branding. Maybe – when all jaffa were free and he no longer needed a reminder of what he was fighting for. For now it would stay, as the symbol of his defiance. Proof of the falsehood of any goa'uld's claim to divinity. Soon, he was sure, Apophis would come out of his tent to torture him and the mark by itself would mock the false god. With some luck it could turn the jaffa to his side when they saw that Apophis had no power over him, his former first prime. Teal'c's lips curled contently. No matter what happened he would die free, testifying to the falsehood of the would-be god.

For a long time nothing happened. Teal'c was left alone were he sat at the centre of the camp, unguarded and unrestrained. He had just begun to consider making a run for it after all when the flap on the royal tent was pulled aside and Apophis strode out. He looked just as Teal'c remembered; arrogant and superior. Teal'c steeled himself for what was to come, but the jaffa who had appeared behind the goa'uld did not rush to drag him to his feet. On a signal from their master they fetched two chairs from the tent. Apophis sat down and made an inviting motion to the other chair. Hesitantly, still on his guard, Teal'c took a seat.

"I trust you have recovered?" Apophis said, his distorted voice lazed with uncharacteristic concern. Teal'c gave a short nod, unwilling to offer more until he knew what his enemy was up to.

"It is an opportune circumstance for you, shol'va, that our paths should cross at this particular time. Only days ago you would have suffered a most horrific death, but as matters are now we shall instead speak, you and I."

Teal'c sneered. He wouldn't for a moment believe that talk was the only item on the agenda. In his experience goa'uld weren't this cordial, unless it was a scheme to get what they wanted or if they were scared. As much as he would have liked it, he was in no position to intimidate Apophis, so the only question remaining was exactly what it was the goa'uld wanted and why he thought he could achieve it in this manner.

"Indeed? Speak? And what, false god, shall we speak about?"

Apophis laughed, a loud hearty laugh the likes Teal'c had never heard from him before. "I see we are both clear on where we stand personally, and I cannot say I am disappointed. But today we shall speak as… representatives."

"Representatives?" The word slipped out before Teal'c could stop it, echoing of astonishment and confusion.

"I shall represent the system lords," Apophis explained, "and you shall represent the jaffa. The system lords have decided to make you an offer." Teal'c remained silent this time and Apophis continued, his voice growing strained as he spoke. "It would seem you desire freedom for the Jaffa. There is no need to reply, your actions speak quite clearly. And as it turns out those actions are causing… trouble for the system lords. And they are willing to make a deal."

By the time he'd finished Teal'c could not keep his face blank anymore. Apophis' discomfort was just too pleasing to see. As of their own volition his lips curved to a smile that only grew when he saw fury flash in the goa'uld's eyes. He knew he was pushing it, but he couldn't help himself. As unlikely as it would seem, it really did appear Apophis wasn't allowed to harm him, or he would have by now. Still, what he claimed sounded all too good to be true.

"You expect me to believe that the system lords want to make a deal with the jaffa?"

He could almost hear Apophis' teeth grind with reluctance as he hissed out a 'Yes'. He resisted the urge to grin wider. If the goa'uld were sincere this was not a moment to let pass by in order to satisfy his personal urge to gloat.

"What kind of deal are the system lords proposing?"

"Any and all jaffa will be free to leave goa'uld service, or stay if they please, on one condition." In a flash the familiar evil spark was back in Apophis' eyes. "The jaffa may be free as long as humans remain to serve us. You must no longer interfere with this natural order of things."

"Jaffa are not the ones who interfere, the tauri have taken up this fight themselves on behalf of all their kind."

"Indeed, and thus their fight is not of jaffa concern. Step away from the human struggle and the freedom of your people will be guaranteed. This is an offer that will not be repeated. The system lords have weighed their priorities and the majority deemed this an appropriate course of action at this time. However, you cannot be allowed to continue aiding these inferior creatures in their silly rebellion."

It was a terrible but tempting proposition. Everything that had been said was true. The humans had begun their struggle on their own, and Teal'c fully believed that they were capable of challenging the goa'uld on their own – successfully none the less. Their first monumental victory had occurred long before he had joined them, when Jack and Daniel singlehandedly wiped Ra from existence. The fight could only become easier without the jaffa on the goa'uld side. And, he could not deny that his heart held no higher wish than to see the deliverance of his people within his lifetime. _But, is it worth cutting the bonds with Earth, with SG-1, my brothers and sister of heart and war?_ The thoughts milled in his mind, stacking up in pros and cons, only to fall down in a mess of indistinguishable factors. Perhaps at some point of his life the choice would have been easy, but now that he knew humans on a closer level it was not as straight forward as choosing his people over another. In many ways the people of Earth were his people too.

"What of the tauri?" he asked. "If humans are to be your servants, what of the ones who are already free and who are fighting for their kind?"

"The tauri will be dealt with, and if you want freedom for the jaffa you will not stand in our way as we realign them with our divine will."

"No! I know what that means. I will not buy my people free with their blood."

"As much as it pleases me to remain your enemy, shol'va, I must advice you to consider your reply. You speak for all jaffa here and this is their one chance to be free. Will you doom your whole people for the sake of these humans?" Apophis grinned with satisfaction while he spoke, as if he already knew the words could not sway him.

"They are my friends," Teal'c said, "and they are worthy of freedom as much as the jaffa are, as is every creature you have enslaved across this galaxy. And my people's day will come, when every goa'uld is thrown down from power once and for all. Then we, jaffa and human alike, will rejoice in our shared freedom."

Apophis regarded him, looking rather content with his reply. "Very well. So be it."

In a fluent motion he rose from his seat. He flashed Teal'c his trademark evil smirk and without another word he disappeared into his tent. Any thought Teal'c had harbored about grasping the moment and rid the galaxy of his former master froze in his mind. It would have been easier if the goa'uld had tried to kill him; a scenario that was far more familiar. But this uncharacteristic behavior put Teal'c out of his depth and before he could act armed jaffa blocked the way to the tent. He abandoned the thought of murder and turned his attention to a more pressing matter. How was he going to get away from here? It was true that Apophis and his jaffa had made no move to kill him, or even harm him, but there was no guarantee this would still be the case if he tried to leave, particularly now that he had turned down the deal.

He rose slowly, tentatively, his eyes flickering from one jaffa to another. They stared back with stony faces, unreadable as any well-trained guard should be. He sidestepped towards the edge of the camp. None of them made a move to stop him. He took another step and when there was still no reaction he sprinted the short distance in among the trees. He let the speed carry him a while before he slowed to a brisk walk and listened for sounds of pursuit. The forest was silent; for all he could tell he had been let go. An overwhelming sense of incredulity filled him with unease. Nothing that had happened fit with what he knew of the goa'uld. He went through the conversation in his mind, and preoccupied as he was he didn't notice the rising fog until it was already up to his chest. Dense and sticky it covered him with moisture and erased the trees of the forest. Within seconds he found himself in a white void where he daren't continue in fear of running into something or tripping on the roots on the ground. The fog clung to him heavily. Stuck to his face, clung to his lips. He breathed it in and it lingered in his lungs, his breathing becoming increasingly laborious. His symbiote twisted in its pouch. He could feel it struggling to help him remain conscious, but his knees buckled and he sank to the ground.


End file.
